Department for Transport

Department for Transport: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations any Minister of his Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) Ernst & Young, (d) Heads of the Valleys Development Company Limited and (e) Monarch Holdings Limited

Mr John Hayes: My Department has received no representations from Bell Pottinger on behalf of Atos IT Services UK Limited, Centrica PLC, Ernst & Young, Heads of the Valleys Development Company Limited or Monarch Holdings Limited in the last 12 months.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place the HS2 route plans for the refined Meadowhall route at the time of the completion of the updating of standards stage in 2014 in the Library.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport,  if he will place the HS2 route plans for the refined Meadowhall route at the time of the conclusion of the Blackburn to Normanton refinement stage in March 2015 in the Library.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place the HS2 route plans for the refined Meadowhall route at the time of the Markham Vale and Staveley approach refinements stage March 2015 in the Library.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place the HS2 route plans for the refined Meadowhall route at the time of the conclusion of the Blackburn to Normanton further refinement stage in January 2016 in the Library.

Paul Maynard: The changes to the Meadowhall Route were made as part of the route refinement process (which included other parts of the Phase Two route) following the 2013 Phase Two route consultation. The refined Meadowhall route was a combination of several amendments to the 2013 consultation route, which were developed across two years, in addition to the updating of the route to ensure compliance with updated HS2 standards, and lessons learned from Phase One of HS2. My department will provide the Hon. Member with copies of the plans and profiles for the entire refined Meadowhall route.

Department for Transport: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff have left his Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

Mr John Hayes: Including the central Department and the Executive Agencies, 5140 individuals have left since 1 January, 2015. Of those individuals, 31 can be confirmed as non-UK EU nationals.

Home Office

Freezing of Assets: Russia

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to use the powers given to her under of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 against Andrei Pavlov and others listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, what plans she has to use the powers given to her under of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 against Dmitry Klyuev and others listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Office, what plans she has to use the powers given to her under of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 against Alexander Bastrykin and others listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to use the powers given to her under of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 against Victor Grin and others listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to use the powers given to her under of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 against Artem Kuznetsov and others listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Ian Austin: To ask The Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using the powers given to him under of the Criminal Finances Act against those listed under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012.

Mr Ben  Wallace: It has been the practice of successive governments that we do not comment on specific cases.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Tobacco: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to promote awareness of counterfeit standardised tobacco.

Joseph Johnson: Although the Department supports a range of awareness raising activities regarding counterfeit goods, none of these campaigns to date have been focussed exclusively on counterfeit tobacco.

Anaerobic Digestion

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential for generation of (a) electricity and (b) gas by anaerobic digestion by 2030.

Richard Harrington: Government has supported growth of the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) sector and the Clean Growth Plan highlights potential future uses of biogas for transport biofuels or gas grid injection.The 2011 Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan estimated the potential generation of between 3 and 5 TWh of electricity by 2020. To date, we have not undertaken any additional assessments of the potential for generation by ADs to 2030.

Carbon Capture and Storage

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for a carbon capture storage and utilisation retrofit solution for the UK coal fired power station fleet; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: We are leading the world by ending unabated coal generation in Great Britain by 2025. The Department consulted on proposals on ending unabated coal generation last year and we will soon be publishing our detailed response.

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December to Question 115960, whether his Department plans to offer financial support to small businesses as part of the Government's assistance to small businesses as the UK leaves the EU.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department has prepared a plan to assist small businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal on the future trading relationship.

Margot James: Although the future trading relationship with the EU is subject to negotiations, we are committed to minimising disruption and giving as much certainty as possible. That’s why the Government is pursuing a time-limited implementation period to allow business the time they need to adapt to new arrangements. Government will be working alongside trade associations and others to communicate to businesses the changes in the UKs trading relationship with the EU, ensuring that they are ready for Day One of exit regardless of the outcome of the negotiations.

Carbon Emissions

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that potential delays to the construction of new nuclear power stations do not undermine the UK’s ability to meet the requirements of the fifth carbon budget.

Claire Perry: The Clean Growth Strategy sets out an indicative pathway to 2032 for meeting the fifth carbon budget through domestic action. This is one of a number of possible pathways. The route we ultimately take to meeting our targets will depend on a range of factors, in particular ensuring we are mindful of any impact on energy costs for households and businesses, and changes in costs as a result of innovation.

Carbon Emissions

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to incentivise businesses and consumers to participate in demand-side flexibility to reduce the cost of meeting the requirements of the fifth carbon budget.

Claire Perry: The Government published the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan in July 2017, which outlined a series of actions to support the transition to a smart energy system, which could save the UK an estimated £17-40 billion up to 2050. The Plan includes measures to increase the participation of industrial and commercial consumers in demand side response (DSR), which focuses on improving access to energy markets and actively supporting National Grid’s changes to ancillary services. The Plan also details policies to enable domestic consumers to participate in DSR, including measures to increase the availability of smart tariffs and on standards for smart appliances, alongside provisions for appropriate consumer protection.

Energy: Carbon Emissions

John McNally: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to engage the UK public with future developments and opportunities associated with the UK’s transition to a low carbon energy system.

Richard Harrington: Moving to a productive low carbon economy cannot be achieved by central government alone; instead, clean growth must be a shared endeavour with business, civil society and the British people.To this end, the Clean Growth Strategy announced that, from 2018, Government will work with business and NGOs to introduce a Green Great Britain Week.

Renewable Energy

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that electricity generated from renewable sources takes priority over energy generated from other sources.

Richard Harrington: The way in which the electricity market and renewable support schemes operate means that renewable electricity generators have effective priority to generate as they generally have very low operating costs.

Wind Power

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to increase the production of electricity from onshore wind.

Richard Harrington: Over 12GW of installed onshore wind capacity was operational in the UK at the end of the second quarter of 2017. This deployment was supported by schemes such as the Renewables Obligation (RO), which are funded by bill payers. Further onshore wind farms are expected to deploy up to March 2019 with support from the RO, utilising grace periods provided for in the Energy Act 2016 and the Renewables Obligation Closure Order (Northern Ireland) 2016 and the Renewables Obligation Closure (No.2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2016. In addition, around 690MW of onshore wind capacity has been contracted to deploy under the Contracts for Different regime by 2019, which was established to replace the RO.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Occupied Territories: Demolition

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the demolition of Palestinian buildings by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: As I set out in the Westminster Hall debate on 6 December the UK position on demolitions is clear: we consider them entirely unacceptable. In all but the most exceptional cases, they are contrary to international humanitarian law. Demolitions or evictions of Palestinian families from their homes cause unnecessary suffering and call into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution. The UK is particularly concerned by Israeli proposals to relocate the Bedouin population from the E1 area, which the UN has said could constitute forcible transfer.

Israel: Palestinians

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government supports a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.

Alistair Burt: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 20 November 2017 (PQ 113202).

Jagtar Singh Johal

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the alleged torture of Jagtar Singh Johal in Punjab.

Mark Field: ​Consular staff in India were made aware of allegations of mistreatment through Mr Johal's legal representation. Consular staff have visited Mr Johal on several occasions since early November and are in contact with his lawyer. Our priority is to inquire about these specific allegations with Mr Johal in private. With his consent we will then raise any allegations made with the relevant authorities. When considering how to act, we will avoid any action that might put the individual in question or any other person that may be affected at risk.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Written Questions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales,  (a) how many and (b) what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost associated with data collection and collation in the current session.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of his Department's Answers to Written Parliamentary Questions have advised that the requested information was not available on the grounds of disproportionate cost associated with data collection and collation in the current session.

Guto Bebb: None. This is out of a total of 166 parliamentary questions that have been answered (as at 13 December).

Department for Education

Department for Education: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations any Minister of her Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) Waitrose Limited.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department does not hold a record of any such representations received by ministerial colleagues since taking office.

Apprentices: Taxation

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 December 2017 to Question 115398, whether her Department has set targets for the uptake of apprenticeships for the year following the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Anne Milton: The government has not set annual targets for the uptake of apprenticeships. However, we aim to achieve 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. There have already been over 1.1 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015.

Overseas Students

Simon Hoare: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the net contribution foreign students studying in the UK made to the economy in each of the last three years.

Joseph Johnson: The table below shows the estimated contribution international students have made to the UK economy, in tuition fees and living expenditure, for the last three years of available data. The estimates for 2015 will be published in early 2018 and the estimates for 2016 will be published in Autumn 2018.International student’s1 contribution to the UK economy in tuition fees and living expenditure, 2012 to 2014, current prices2012£13.2 billion2013£13.4 billion2014£14 billion 1 This estimate includes Higher Education, Further Education, Independent Schools and English Language Training students.[Source: Department for Education Research Report, July 2017, UK revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity 2010-2014.]

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend the provision of 15 additional hours of free childcare under the Childcare Act 2016 to foster children in England.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to assess the benefit to fostering families of the increase from 15 to 30 hours of free childcare provision.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children. It is right that foster carers receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. Foster carers are able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare. We are considering whether it is possible for children in foster care to take up the additional 15 hours in a way that promotes the best interests of the child.

Children: Day Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to increase the national minimum fostering allowance to take into account the cost of childcare.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children. It is right that foster carers receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. At present, foster carers are able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare.

Foster Care

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what she is doing to remove barriers for people who want to combine work outside the home with fostering.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Foster carers play a vital role in supporting some of our most vulnerable children and it is right that they receive the support they need to meet the needs of the children they look after. We have introduced the foster-family-friendly employer policy, with the Department for Education leading by example in ensuring support and flexibility for its employees who foster. The National Fostering Stocktake, a comprehensive review of the fostering system, is also underway. The Stocktake is looking at a wide range of issues including the recruitment and retention of foster carers and the support foster carers receive. The reviewers will report to my hon. Friend the Minister for Children and Families with recommendations at the end of the year. Foster carers are also able to access the universal 15 hours of free childcare.

English Language: Education

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to increase funding for ESOL courses in areas with the highest proportion of refugees.

Anne Milton: The government is offering refugees access to English language support through the Adult Education Budget. We provide full funding to English for Speakers of Other Languages courses for refugees who are unemployed and looking for work, and 50% funding for other refugees. Education providers have the freedom to determine how they use funds to meet the needs of their local communities. If education providers experience excess demand, which may be related to increased numbers of refugees, they can request growth funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency. This is subject to the requirements of the growth exercise in that funding year.Our funding is also responsive to local demand. For example, the government is providing up to £10 million over five years specifically for English language support for refugees who come to the UK as part of the Vulnerable People’s Resettlement Scheme.

Children: Day Care

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of the 30 hours free childcare policy on nursery school budgets.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Maintained nursery schools make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. The effect of the 30 hours entitlement on their budgets will depend on the extent to which they are directly involved in delivery of the entitlement and the take up of the entitlement by parents in the local area.Maintained nursery schools can choose to offer the 30 hours entitlement themselves, as can all early years providers. However, if they cannot or do not want to offer the whole entitlement themselves, we would encourage them to consider a range of options for being involved in the delivery of the 30 hours entitlement, including working in partnership with other providers.

Apprentices

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the fall in the number of apprenticeship starts between May to July 2017 compared to the same period in 2016.

Anne Milton: The apprenticeship reforms introduced earlier this year are the largest changes to apprenticeships the government has ever made. We are transforming the skills landscape and in light of these changes, it would premature to draw definitive conclusions on the basis of the limited data available. We fully expect there to be a period of adjustment while employers decide how to maximise the opportunities these reforms present them. We have been working hard to support employers in training and recruiting new apprentices. There have been over 1.1 million apprenticeship starts since May 2015 and we still aim to achieve 3 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020.

Home Education

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools entered into elective home education in each local authority in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The data on the numbers of children educated at home is not collected centrally.

Department for Education: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many members of staff have left her Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

Mr Robert Goodwill: 1664 members of staff have left the department from 1 January 2015 to 30 November 2017.The department does not hold nationality data for all staff. Evidence of nationality is checked at the point of recruitment into the Civil Service as part of wider pre-employment checks, but there is no requirement on departments to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose.

Pupils: Diabetes

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on whether school governing bodies are making arrangements within their school policies for the support of pupils with medical conditions to give specific consideration to the needs of pupils with Type 1 Diabetes.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils at maintained schools with Type 1 Diabetes have (a) entered   a coma and (b) suffered a serious medical episode at school in the last 12 months.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to schools and governing bodies on developing policies to support pupils with Type 1 Diabetes.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to instruct OFSTED to update its (a) inspection regime and (b)  inspector training to include checks for the effective implementation of policies regarding pupils with 1 diabetes.

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue guidance to schools on reasonable adjustments to school timetables for  children with Type 1 diabetes.

Mr Robert Goodwill: School governing boards should ensure that all schools develop a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff. The department does not hold information on individual diabetes episodes within schools, nor on the extent to which governing boards are making arrangements within their school policies for the support of pupils with medical conditions to give specific consideration to the needs of pupils with Type 1 Diabetes. Statutory guidance on supporting pupils at school with medical conditions includes information for schools on developing school policies. We have also provided a collection of links to useful resources to help schools support their pupils with medical conditions. This includes links to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation / East of England Children and Young People Diabetes Network; and to Diabetes UK website, which includes a sample medical conditions policy. Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework requires inspectors, in making judgements upon schools, to pay particular attention to the outcomes of a range of groups of pupils, including those with medical needs. Ofsted included guidance to inspectors on this matter in their March 2017 school inspection update, reminding inspectors that they should consider how schools are meeting the needs of pupils with medical conditions. The content of inspection frameworks and training of inspectors are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector. Governing boards must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled children and young people are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory: adjustments must be planned and put in place in advance, to prevent that disadvantage.

Pre-school Education: Finance

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115404 on Pre-school Education: Finance, when the Department plans to announce the funding allocations for 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The 2018-19 early years funding allocations to local authorities will be announced later in December 2017. The 2019-20 allocations will be published in December 2018.

Adoption

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussion he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the adequacy of the delivery of adoption services by local authorities.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The government has driven significant improvements to adoption services in recent years. The average duration between entry into care and being adopted has decreased by six months between 2013 and 2017 to two years.[1] The Adoption Support Fund has provided over £62 million of therapeutic support to over 21,000 families since it was launched in 2015. My Rt Hon. Friend The Secretary of State meets the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government regularly to discuss a range of topics, including children’s services provision.  [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.

Ministry of Justice

Bail

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what action his Department requires courts to take upon being notified that a defendant has given an invalid or unavailable bail address to the court.

Dominic Raab: The decision to remand an individual in custody or to grant bail is solely a matter for the courts acting in accordance with the law. Where an individual has a condition of bail to reside at a particular address and it transpires that he is not, or may not, be living at that address, the court may notify the police who will investigate whether or not there has been a breach of bail conditions. If there is evidence of an alleged breach the individual can be arrested and brought before the court. The court may then either remand the individual in custody or amend the bail conditions.

Voting Rights: Prisoners

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the Government's policy is on voting rights for prisoners with short sentences.

Dr Phillip Lee: The Ministry of Justice has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Courts

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he will publish a draft Courts Bill.

Dominic Raab: The Government is committed to introducing legislation to modernise the courts system, as soon as parliamentary time allows. There are no current plans to publish the Bill in draft.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many members of staff have left his Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not employ staff directly. Staff that join do so on assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice, who remain the employers. 7 staff left the Scotland Office by resignation or retiral since 1 January 2015, details of the nationality of these staff are retained by the employing departments.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the average length time it takes from a new applicant for universal credit beginning their application and the point at which the six week period wait for that credit is triggered.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit claimants receive the first payment 5 weeks after their date of entitlement (6 weeks if waiting days are served). The assessment period runs for a full calendar month from the date of entitlement, and the UC pay date is 7 calendar days after the end of the assessment period. The most vulnerable are already exempt from waiting days, and waiting days will be abolished from all new Universal Credit claims from February 2018. This will further reduce the waiting period for a claimant’s first monthly payment by 1 week and create entitlement from the very first day of their claim. Data published on 2 October 2017 shows that, nationally, 81% of new full service claims received their first payment in full and on time. Across the whole of Universal Credit 92% of all households received full payment on time. The published data can be found here. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-payment-timeliness-january-to-june-2017.

Universal Credit: Ogmore

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the revised dates for the roll-out of universal credit are across job centres within the Ogmore constituency.

Damian Hinds: The original date for rollout in the Ogmore constituency was for 28 February 2018 and this has been revised to 14 March 2018.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Plants: Sales

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with UK retailers on the sale of plants grown with neonicotinoid pesticides; and if he will issue guidance to retailers not to sell plants grown with those pesticides.

George Eustice: The Government remains of the view that decisions on the use of pesticides should be based on a careful scientific assessment of the risks. Pesticides that carry unacceptable risks to pollinators should not be authorised. Three neonicotinoids are currently subject to restrictions which normally prohibit their use on a number of crops. The UK has fully implemented these restrictions. We have also said that we support further restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides based on an assessment of the evidence, including that they may have an impact on soils. Currently, ornamental plants can be treated with neonicotinoids if the plant is grown in a greenhouse, is treated after flowering, or doesn’t flower until the year after treatment.

Horticulture

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that farmers have access to a sufficient number of workers to work in the horticultural industry after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: It is a key priority of this Government to enable an innovative, productive and competitive food supply chain which invests in its people and skills. Defra Ministers have ongoing discussions with a range of government departments, including the Home Office, about securing the workforce that the farming industry, needs for the future. After we leave the EU, we must have an immigration system which works in the best interests of the UK – controlling immigration whilst continuing to welcome those who make an invaluable contribution. For the longer-term the Government has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the role that EU citizens play in the UK economy and society.

Rural Areas: Crime Prevention

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on reducing the incidence of rural crime.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: My Department works closely with the Home Office and is also engaged with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on Wildlife Crime and Rural Affairs and the National Rural Crime Network.

Tree Planting

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what targets his Department has set for tree planting.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The government is committed to planting 11 million trees and to plant 1 million urban trees in England.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse of administering and running the Countryside Stewardship Scheme annually is.

George Eustice: The cost of administering the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in 2017 is about £15 million. This includes staff costs and additions for IT, estates and other on-costs and the cost of new IT development (of approximately £1.5 million).

Agriculture: Subsidies

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of farmers who do not take up the basic payment scheme.

George Eustice: The department do not hold information on the number of farmers who consider themselves potentially eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme in any given year but choose not to claim. Following the introduction of new eligibility criteria for the Basic Payment Scheme, the number of claims received has reduced by approximately 16% compared to the final year of the Single Payment Scheme in 2014.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing: Construction

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if a (a) local planning authority, and (b) planning inspector, is able to consider as a material planning consideration, the likelihood of a local planning authority making up a shortfall identified in its five year supply of deliverable housing sites in later years in an (i) existing Local Plan; and (ii) emerging Local Plan, when determining planning application.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a local planning authority not able to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites can deliver the shortfall in future years in the Local Plan period.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether a (a) local planning authority and (b) planning inspector has a duty to consider as a material planning consideration (i) the delivery of new housing during the course of a Local Plan period of fifteen years and (ii) each five-year period of the supply of housing sites for new housing when considering the impact and weighting of a local authority's position in relation to their delivery of a five-year supply of housing sites.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consideration (a) local planning authorities and (b) planning inspectors should give to the scheduled building of new infrastructure beyond the five-year period for the supply of deliverable housing sites when determining planning applications in circumstances where a local planning authority (a) can and (b) cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable sites.

Alok Sharma: The starting point for decisions by local planning authorities and planning inspectors will be the approved development plan for the area taking into account relevant material considerations, including national planning policy and guidance. All housing allocations and infrastructure plans need to be deliverable.Where a Local Planning Authority (LPA) has not delivered sufficient completions in previous years against its housing requirement this will result in a shortfall of supply against the five year land supply. The preferred approach (as set out in Planning Guidance) to addressing past shortfalls is to ensure they are met within a five year period (known as the Sedgefield method), but LPAs have argued at both examinations and appeals that due to their particular circumstances they need to meet the past shortfalls over the whole plan period. Inspectors have considered the most appropriate approach on a case by case basis.To ensure that the guidance on five year land supply is suitably clear, transparent and comprehensive, the Government committed in the Housing White Paper to issue new guidance.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Non-departmental Public Bodies

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what bodies for which his Department is responsible are required to lay reports before Parliament.

Harriett Baldwin: The following entities which come within the Ministry of Defence (MOD) boundary are required to lay reports before Parliament: Armed Forces' Pay Review BodyDefence Equipment and SupportDefence Electronics and Components AgencyDefence Science and Technology LaboratoryGreenwich Hospital and Travers FoundationNational Army MuseumNational Employer Advisory BoardNational Museum of the Royal NavyReserve Forces and Cadets AssociationsRoyal Air Force MuseumService Complaints OmbudsmanSingle Source Regulations OfficeUnited Kingdom Hydrographic Office A list of the bodies for which the MOD is responsible can be found on the gov.uk website and in the MOD Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17 (HC 21) at Note 22.

Submarines: Accidents

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many accidents Royal Navy submarines have been involved in the past five years, broken down by (a) class of submarine and (b) severity of accident.

Mark Lancaster: To answer this question, an accident has been defined as an incident involving another vessel. There have been two accidents in the last five years. A UK submarine was involved in an incident with the Fishing Vessel KAREN on 15 April 2015 and HMS AMBUSH (Astute Class) collided with a Merchant Vessel on 20 July 2016.I am withholding further information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

HM Treasury

Universal Credit

Alex Sobel: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Minister of State for Housing and Planning on the potential effect of the roll-out of universal credit on people seeking housing benefits.

Elizabeth Truss: At Budget, the Chancellor announced that from April 2018, Housing Benefit claimants will receive an additional two weeks’ support during their transition to Universal Credit (UC), providing them with extra support at a time of change in their lives. The Government is also making it easier for claimants to have the housing element of their UC award paid directly to their landlord, ensuring that UC claimants are supported throughout their transition into work.

Universal Credit

Alex Sobel: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential effect of the the roll-out of universal credit on levels of household income.

Elizabeth Truss: Universal Credit (UC) has already been successful in getting more people into work by ensuring that work always pays, and that has boosted household incomes. UC claimants are four percentage points more likely to be in work within six months than a matched sample of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants.

Public Expenditure

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he plans to make to the EU to audit its accounts after the UK has left the EU but while the EU is still in receipt of monies from the public purse.

Mel Stride: As announced in the joint report from the negotiators of the European Union and the United Kingdom Government on 8 December 2017, data for the calculation of UK payments will be drawn up from publicly available sources where possible, and audited by the European Court of Auditors – the independent body responsible for auditing the EU’s expenditure, revenue and accounts.Further information necessary for the calculation of the UK’s share of Union obligations will be transmitted to the UK. The Union will provide the UK with the management and accounting information necessary to verify the components of the financial settlement in a timely manner. As it does today, the UK Government will closely examine all information relating to any payments to the EU.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what representations any Minister of his Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) DS Smith plc, (d) Ernst & Young, (e) Heads of the Valleys Development Company Limited and (f) Monarch Holdings Limited.

Mr Steve Baker: Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union have not have organised and undertaken more than 400 recorded engagements with business and civil society stakeholders since July 2016.Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns on GOV.UK.

Business: Scotland

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2017 Question 2584 on business: Scotland, if he will publish the (a) correspondence and (b) minutes of the meetings referred to in that answer

Mr Steve Baker: Details of Ministerial and senior official meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns on GOV.UK.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many members of staff have left his Department since its creation; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

Mr Steve Baker: The Department for Exiting the European Union’s monthly average attrition is 3.1% which equates to a quarterly figure of 8-9%. This level of attrition is not out of line with other Government departments, like the Cabinet Office, that operate a similar employment model. This figure includes the contractual exit of agency workers, secondees, contractors and fast streamers. The figure also includes a number of individuals who were on short-term loan from other Government Departments, brought in to aid in the establishment of DExEU.Information on nationality cannot be released as individuals may be identifiable.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Bell Pottinger Group

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations any Minister of his Department has received from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) DS Smith plc, (d) Ernst & Young, (e) Heads of the Valleys Development Company Limited and (f) Monarch Holdings Limited.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade has received no representation from Bell Pottinger on behalf of (a) Atos IT Services UK Limited, (b) Centrica PLC, (c) DS Smith plc, (d) Ernst & Young, (e) Heads of the Valleys Development Company Limited and (f) Monarch Holdings Limited.

Energy: Sub-Saharan Africa

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what energy-related exports to sub-Saharan Africa have been supported by UK Export Finance and for which (a) companies (b) type of project or export (c) destination country in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mark Garnier: UK Export Finance (UKEF) publishes details of the companies it has supported on an annual basis in its Annual Report and Accounts which is presented to Parliament and on its website. These details include the type of project or export supported, and the destination country.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-export-finance-annual-reports-and-accounts

Renewable Energy: Africa

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support his Department provides to help UK renewable energy companies export to Africa.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) uses multiple channels to provide support to UK companies looking for opportunities in the renewable energy sector in Africa. For example:- UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency, has capacity to support UK trade and welcomes new applications for support from companies in the renewables sector. There is up to £2 billion available from UKEF for East Africa across all sectors. Further details on the products available from UKEF are listed on their website, along with country by country data. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-export-finance). - In April 2016, UKEF also joined African Trade Insurance (ATI), the pan-African export credit agency. As an ATI member, UKEF gains access to information about upcoming opportunities for exporters. ATI will also provide a platform to raise awareness among project sponsors and buyers in African countries of the UKEF support available to importers of UK goods and services. - In 2016 UKEF signed a memorandum of understanding with the Kenyan government on renewables investment, to promote opportunities for private sector trade and investment by the UK in Kenya’s renewable energy sector.- DIT has a High Value Campaign (HVC) targeting renewables exports to East Africa. - DIT also provides reactive support to exporters through our International Trade Advisor’s (ITA) network. (https://www.contactus.trade.gov.uk/office-finder/)

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has received from the Fairtrade Foundation on the effect on the UK's Sustainable Development Goals of the provisions in his Department's Trade Bill, published in November 2017; and what assessment he has made of that effect.

Greg Hands: Department for International Trade indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Labour Turnover

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many members of staff have left her Department since 1 January 2015; and how many of those members of staff were nationals of non-UK EU countries.

Matt Hancock: Since 1 January 2015, 358 staff have left the department (of which 53% was inter-Civil Service movement).The Civil Service does not routinely collect information on the nationality of civil servants. The information requested is not held.

Department of Health

General Practitioners

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to support GP services in (a) Sevenoaks and (b) England.

Steve Brine: It is the responsibility of local commissioners, overseen by NHS England, to ensure that general practitioner (GP) services meet the needs of local people. In line with its strategic vision, Mapping the Future, that was approved by West Kent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in July 2017 a Local Care Plan that describes the model of GP care, the infrastructure required and what will change for local people was published. In this local care model, the system is organised at four different levels – general practice, cluster, local care hubs and west Kent-wide services. There are seven ‘clusters’ of general practices in West Kent. The cluster model is being implemented in three phases across the seven clusters. The Sevenoaks cluster lead GP, Dr Vicky O’Neill, is leading the development of a bid on behalf of local practices to secure GP Five-Year Forward View funding to help ensure that local GP care is sustainable. Several practices in Sevenoaks are finalising practice premises development plans to allow them to expand their services. The Sevenoaks cluster is also working to prepare for delivering the enhanced access requirements for general practice and West Kent CCG expects the cluster to be compliant by the target date of March 2019. In April 2016, the General Practice Forward View set out a package of investment in English general practice. This included a number of reforms which will support general practice through increased investment in general practice, recruitment and retention of GPs and the wider workforce, and investment in extended access to GP services. By 2020 the Government has committed to supporting general practice by incrementally increasing investment up to £12 billion (an additional £2.4 billion compared to 2015/16); an additional 5,000 GPs and 5,000 other staff working in general practice; and by March 2019 everyone having access to GP services, including sufficient routine appointments at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand.

Ophthalmic Services

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of hospital eye departments to meet the demand for treatment in a timely manner.

Mr Philip Dunne: Waiting times for hospital eye services are assessed and reported on in the same way as other secondary care services. Monthly performance statistics which include figures on general practitioner referrals to a consultant-led team and number of outpatient/inpatient appointments carried out each month are published by NHS England and are available at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/hospital-activity/National Health Service hospital eye services are arranged by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in response to the needs of their local population. CCGs are also able to commission eye care services in the community to meet local demand. For all services commissioned, including ophthalmic services, there will be an assessment of the health needs of their local population. NHS England’s Elective Care Transformation Programme is supporting local clinicians and CCGs to manage demand for services effectively to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients and the most efficient use of resources. Eye care services are one of a number of specialities being examined through this programme of work.

Ophthalmic Services

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to promote the greater use of community optometrists and opticians to relieve pressure on hospital eye departments.

Steve Brine: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning secondary care hospital eye services for their populations. CCGs are also able to commission eye care services in the community, over and above the National Health Service sight test, to meet local need. Given the size of England, and the diversity of the health needs of different communities, we believe commissioning needs to be owned and managed locally.

Ophthalmic Services: Research

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the merits of committing additional funds to optometry research in the 2018-19 financial year.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including optometry research; it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Information on individual projects funded by the NIHR can be found at:https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/

Death: Weather

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce winter deaths.

Mr Philip Dunne: Public Health England (PHE), working with the Department and NHS England, oversees the national flu immunisation programme, conducts flu surveillance and publishes an annual Flu Plan. PHE also publishes the Cold Weather Plan for England, in collaboration with the Department, NHS England and the Local Government Association, which aims to avoid preventable illness and deaths in winter. In addition, PHE runs the ‘Stay Well This Winter’ campaign in partnership with NHS England, encouraging people most at-risk of preventable emergency hospital admission to take actions helping them stay well. We know the National Health Service is facing increased pressure this winter and that is why we planned earlier this year than ever before. The NHS has robust plans in place to cope with winter supported by additional capital and revenue funding for the NHS of £435 million and funding of an additional £1 billion for the social care system this year to be spent on meeting adult social care needs, supporting the social care market and reducing pressure on the NHS this year. The NHS is committed to ensuring all patients continue to receive high quality, safe and efficient care as demand over winter increases.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS hospitals had comprehensive front-door clinical streaming in (a) March 2017 and (b) October 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available confirms that there were 41 out of 138 acute National Health Service trusts with a type 1 accident and emergency (A&E) which had front-door clinical streaming in place in July 2017. In October 2017 this number had increased to 125 out of 137 acute NHS trusts with a type 1 A&E.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to NHS England's Good practice guide: Focus on improving patient flow published in July 2017, how many NHS hospitals adopted that best practice in (a) March 2017 and (b) October 2017.

Mr Philip Dunne: The data requested is not collected centrally.

Women and Equalities

Gender Recognition

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Gender Recognition Act in the workplace.

Anne Milton: My Rt hon. Friend the Minister for Women and Equalities became responsible for the Gender Recognition Act 2004 on 16 November 2017, following a ‘Machinery of Government’ change.The government has committed to carrying out a broad consultation on the Gender Recognition Act to look at making the process of legally changing gender less bureaucratic and intrusive for transgender people.We will encourage employers to respond to the consultation.